Mortgage applications slide by double digits

Home loan application volume sank 11.1 percent last week on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier despite a drop in interest rates, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported today.

According to the trade group, the decrease was led by a 16.7 percent drop in the index that tracks refinancings, followed by a 4.8 percent decline in purchase loan applications.

As a result, the refinance share of loan applications fell to 45.7 percent from 49.2 percent at mid-month, while the adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) share slipped to 5.9 percent from 6.6 percent.  more...